In recent years, many changes have been noticed in the way goods are transported. Railway transportation has been decreasing and road transportation is on the increase. As road transportation is increasing, high levels of carbon emission have been registered. The high level of carbon emission is becoming a growing concern, as it is known to contribute to the green house effect subjected to the planet. This growing concern has encouraged many people to find ways to reduce their vehicle's fuel consumption. Furthermore, as people and businesses are always trying to reduce cost, the drive to reduce fuel consumption is all the more increasing. The concern of fuel consumption is even greater when motorized vehicles are pulling trailers as many trailers lack in aerodynamic design.
Many have in the past thought of ways to increase the aerodynamics of trailers particularly for semi-trailers. The following solutions increase the aerodynamics of semi-trailers, such as found in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,617, titled: “Longitudinally and Vertically Adjustable Trailer Underbody Fairing” and the U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,720, titled: “Adjustable Trailer Underbody Fairing”. Both solutions consist of side panel fairings that are placed on the underbody of a dual axle trailer closing off laterally the large gap between the trailer wheels of each axle. By placing such a fairing on the underbody of a dual axle trailer, the amount of air that would normally catch in the wheels and other extruding surfaces under the trailer is reduced, thus increasing the aerodynamics of the trailer and reducing the fuel consumption of the pulling vehicle. Although these previous inventions do serve the purpose of reducing fuel consumption, they do have downfalls.
The downfalls include reduction of clearance of the trailer between the axles. Firstly, in both previously stated solutions, the fairing is mounted, under the trailer, on the full length between the trailer wheels of each axle. When maneuvering over a ramp and on uneven terrain, the fairing must be either lifted up or removed, as the terrain might interfere with the fairing. To avoid damage, the driver must in this case stop his vehicle and step out of his vehicle to either lift or remove the fairing. This procedure can be arduous and quite cumbersome.
Secondly as the fairing is mounted, under the trailer, on the full length between the trailer wheels of each axle, the access to the underbody is difficult. The accessibility to the underbody of the trailer is important as regular verification and maintenance of the underbody is necessary for safety reasons and the proper upkeep of the trailer. Furthermore, the accessibility is also necessary to allow the deployment of a trailer-jack.
Hence, a solution that reduces fuel consumption of vehicles that pull trailers while giving clearance between the axles of the trailer, and allowing access to the underbody of the trailer would be advantageous.